Matthew Warren

Mathew Warren is the Chief Executive Officer of the Clean Energy Council, an Australian lobby group for businesses with interests in gas, wind, hydro, bioenergy, energy efficiency and renewable power. He commenced in the position in October 2008. Prior to working for the CEC Warren was the environment reporter for The Australian, the national newspaper published by News Limited, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.

Background
In August 2006 The Australian announced that it had appointed Warren as environment reporter after he had "spent the past 12 years working in environmental policy and strategy, both in Australia and overseas. He has advised industry and governments on a range of technical and strategic environmental policy issues, from recycling to climate change, and will provide a fresh insight into this complex public debate." 

Following his appointment, Jane Nethercote reported in Crikey.com.au that just before joining the Australian Warren had been the Director External Affairs of the NSW Minerals Council, the state's peak mining body. While with the NSW Minerals Council, Warren was the contact on a media release issued on World Environment Day in June 2006 criticising environmentalists for a protest over the coal industry.:


 * "The publicity stunt by activists in Newcastle today is nothing more than a self-serving indulgence by a small section of the community who are blind to the fact that the world has moved on in recognising and addressing the threat of climate change,” [NSWMC Chief Executive Officer], Dr Williams said. “The coal industry has recently committed $300 million to progress low emission coal technologies. The real environmentalists are the researchers and scientists who are driving these solutions to the problem."

Warren told Crikey that it was wrong to assume this statement reflects his views on the environment: it "doesn't define who I am or what I stand for," he said.

"My main bias is for the environment", says Warren, "and to suggest anything else is silly". He joined the Australian, he told Crikey, "out of growing frustration about the quality of the public environment debate in the media". It's a "very important, very complex" issue, he said.

Related SourceWatch Articles

 * Journalists

Articles by Warren

 * Matthew Warren, "Plan to pay farmers for trees", The Australian, August 29, 2006.
 * Matthew Warren, "Ferguson stands up for forestry spy tactics", The Australian, October 3, 2006.
 * Matthew Warren, "Greens clamour to be heard: The fast-evolving climate change debate is altering the role of activism", The Australian, April 28, 2007.

Articles/Releases Mentioning Warren

 * NSW Minerals Council, "Activists resort to pointless media stunt in Newcastle as real environmentalists find solutions to climate change", Media Release, June 5, 2006.
 * "Top writers join The Australian", The Australian, August 5, 2006.
 * Jane Nethercote, "Ex-mining spinner gets new gig -- as environment reporter", Crikey, August 7, 2006. (Not online)